Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- October 24, 2019

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan shake hands during a joint press conference after their talks in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on October 22, 2019. Photo: Sergei Chirikov / poll / AFP

Pepe Escobar, Asia Times: Vladimir Putin, Syria’s pacifier-in-chief

Russia-Turkey deal establishes ‘safe zone’ along Turkish border and there will be joint Russia-Turkey military patrols

The negotiations in Sochi were long – over six hours – tense and tough. Two leaders in a room with their interpreters and several senior Turkish ministers close by if advice was needed. The stakes were immense: a road map to pacify northeast Syria, finally.

The press conference afterwards was somewhat awkward – riffing on generalities. But there’s no question that in the end Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan managed the near impossible.

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Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- October 24, 2019

Trump Team Member James Jeffrey Spars With Kurdish Diplomat -- Matthew Petti, National Interest

Syria’s Assad gets a prize with American troop withdrawal, Turkey-Russia deal -- Zeina Karam, AP

Trump's Syria pullout, aiding Russia and Turkey, is when America stopped leading the world -- NBC

Saudi Arabia’s War in Yemen Is About Oil -- Asher Orkaby, National Interest

Tehran's tyrants have been provoked -- Behnam Ben Taleblu, The Hill

Reeling from protests, what's next for Lebanon? -- Samia Nakhoul and Tom Perry, Reuters

'An indictment of South Africa': whites-only town Orania is booming -- Dennis Webster, The Guardian

Putin’s ambitions for the Russia-Africa Summit -- Step Vaessen, Al Jazeera

EU to decide on Brexit extension — but then what? -- Mark Hallam, DW

An explosion of protest, a howl of rage – but not a Latin American spring -- Tom Phillips, The Guardian

How Mexico became a failed state -- Manuel Suárez-Mier, Asia Times

Donald Trump told Republicans to get tough on the impeachment. So they stormed a closed-door hearing -- Peter Marsh, ABC News Online

Is it true that Donald Trump can shoot someone on Fifth Avenue and get away with it? -- Matt Bevan, ABC News Online

From Beirut to Hong Kong, the face of the Joker is appearing in demonstrations -- Jean-Luc Mounier, France 24

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